


Chasing Shadows

by checkerboardom



Category: Hannibal (TV), Hannibal Lecter Series - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Author is a slow updater, Blood and Gore, Case Fic, M/M, Manipulation, Muder, OMC - Freeform, Who is also bad at tagging
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-22
Updated: 2013-09-18
Packaged: 2017-12-20 23:57:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/893412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/checkerboardom/pseuds/checkerboardom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Will and Hannibal have been solving cases together for two years now; they are partners and lovers and everything in between. Then the Chesapeake Ripper starts killing again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Case One

**Case One: The Silk Handkercheif**

* * *

 

Will can tell before he's even entered the room that this isn't the Ripper's work, he can feel it, like a pulse through his entire being that leaves him empty and disappointed. The apartment's living room is small, sparse, and spartan outside of a laptop perched on an old coffee table, a couch, lamp, TV, and a pair of sneakers kicked carelessly behind the door. There is blood speckling the area in front of the couch and a body lying on it's side in a pool of congealed blood, but this isn't (can't be) the Ripper because there are no missing organs.

This knowledge doesn't stop Will from kneeling down beside the body though. What has him kneeling beside Eduardo Perez's prone cold body is the the impeccably dressed man walking toward him to lay a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He can vaguely hear Jack giving Hannibal the details of their victim and knows that he'll fill him in (if he needs it) before all sound fades and the pendulum swings as time winds backwards. He slips into the imprint of their killer's mind with ease (like a well fitted glove) and opens his eyes to see Eduardo Perez staring up at him. The man is on his knees with his hands tied behind his back and a handkerchief shoved into his mouth.

Perez makes a strangled noise as he moves behind him, toward the small table beside the couch that bears a hunting knife. His gloved hands tremble ever so much (in excitement or nervousness he doesn't know) as he presses the knife to the soft tissue under Perez's chin, blood trickling from a fresh cut before he drags it lower (over his carotid artery) and presses firmly. He draws his arm back in a quick vicious motion and arterial blood sprays outward, coating the table a few feet in front of him with red. Perez gasps and gurgles, choking around the blood in his mouth and lungs, arms struggling (futilely, hopelessly, absurdly) against his binds in an attempt to press his hands to the gushing wound.

"Perez bleeds out on the shabby carpet of the apartment, hands still bound behind his back. I'm perfectly clean, not a speck of blood on me to give away my crime. I leave the apartment after throwing the knife beside my victim. There won't be any clues to my identity except," And now Will paused to pry the handkerchief free as he comes back to the present. "A handkerchief with my initials on it."

"He finally made a mistake," Hannibal said from his station by Will's side, tone doubtful as he watched Will's fingers skirt around the blood on the piece of square cloth to the two damning letters engraved in the corner.

"You don't believe that." Will observed as Hannibal retrieved the discarded hunting knife from the floor.

"No, the Ripper wouldn't be this careless." Hannibal replied as he examined the victim's throat. "The cuts are sloppy, most likely from an unsteady hand, and there are traces of tobacco ash on the knife's hilt."

"My," Will paused (he is not a killer), clearing his throat. "The killer's hands were shaking. It didn't feel like excitement though. There was anger and resentment but no excitement."

Hannibal nodded. "An intention tremor perhaps."

"He was also wearing gloves."

At this Hannibal smiled, "Excellent. It would seem that the handkerchief is our best clue toward our killer's identity."

* * *

 

Their handkerchief maker is a middle-aged African American woman by the name of Sarah Eckerton who owns a dye and tailor shop on the corner of Third Street. The little establishment is modest and clean, designed to be welcoming but elegant with it's rich mahogany counter and shelves and airy cream colored curtains.

"I remember this kerchief well, Mr. Lecter." Sarah said after a moment of examining a photo of the cloth.

"Do you remember who bought it, Mrs. Eckerton?" Hannibal glanced down at the photo, at the beautiful silk dyed a deep plum purple with gold and silver detailing. The woman nodded and pushed her reading glasses higher on her nose before peering at her computer.

"A man by the name of Cadbury, Henry Cadbury. He's a charming man, and so polite for his age, but," And now she paused to look up at Hannibal, then back to the photo. "Whatever could you need him for?"

"He's someone that we'd like to help us gain some insight on a murder but I'm afraid that's all I can tell you." Hannibal replied firmly after a moment of deliberating his words.

Ms. Eckerton looked a little shaken at the prospect of murder but Hannibal's phone chose that moment to ring. Collecting the photo as he nodded in farewell to Sarah Eckerton, he answered it. "Lecter speaking."

"How did your meeting with the shopkeeper go?" Will's voice sounded from the other end of the line as Hannibal made his way to his car.

"As well as could be hoped for." He ducked down into the driver's seat. "Where are you?"

"I'm heading back to the apartment to look for any more clues."

"I presume that the knife had no prints." Hannibal pulled into traffic, heading toward the apartment as well.

"No, it didn't." Will replied with a sigh.

"I didn't think it would, my dear Will." Hannibal said with a faint smile. "I will call you when I reach the apartment."

Will let out another sigh as he flipped his phone walk to Perez's apartment was quiet outside of the normal sounds that an overcrowded apartment complex could churn up. When he reached the door labeled two-oh-five, however, he was caught off guard to see a young man standing by the door. His dirty blonde hair was tousled, his bottom lip held between his teeth as he traced the apartment number with the knuckle of his right thumb.

"Did you know him?" Will's voice seemed to startle the man out of his thoughts and he focused his eyes (which were a dazzling mix of blue-green) on him.

"Eddie?" He tucked his hands into the pocket's of his jeans. "Yeah, we are, uh were, best friends."

"Do you know if he had any enemies?" The man looked perplexed at Will's question for a moment before shaking his head.

"Not really. He'd complain about this one busboy at the hotel where he worked. Kid never did his job right or something, and it always made Eddie mad."

"Could you tell me where he worked?"

"He worked at the Hotel Monaco in Baltimore. They host a lot of events for a social group my mom is in and she'd drag me to them. Eddie would always join the group during break, dressed in his staff tux even though he could get fired if he was caught. He made it a lot less boring, that's for sure." The man's lips tugged up in a fond smile but his eyes were sad.

"I'm sorry for your loss..." Will began, feeling out of place, and those sad, stunning eyes locked with his before he looked away, back at the apartment numbers.

"Henry, Henry Cadbury." Henry pulled a card from his pocket. "Give me a call when you find the guy that killed him."

"I will." Will promised, then watched as the blonde made his way down the hall.

…

Eddie Perez never seemed to have settled well into Baltimore. The apartment held little about him, the only picture in the whole space being a photo of him and an older woman, presumably his mother considering the striking resemblance between them. The laptop was sleeping but as Will revived it it lit up to show an email addressed to Henry about an upcoming hunting trip.

The apartment was stifling as well, holding the echoes of death, the coppery smell of blood, and the mixed feelings of a killer that Will had empathised with. It tingled on his skin like an irritating bug, and (not for the first time) itched at his mind despite how hard he focused on finding clues. It was no wonder, then, that the sound of his phone's shrill ring sent a wave of relief through him.

"Graham speaking."

"I may have found our killer." Hannibal began and Will could feel his own eyes widen.

"You... but how?" He managed after a moment and could practically here the smile that Hannibal was undoubtedly hiding in his voice.

"There is a knife shop not a block from the apartment. The store owner recognized the blade, having made it not a month ago for a man named Henry-"

"Cadbury." Will finished as he left the apartment. "He was here about half an hour ago."

"At the apartment." Not a question, an observation as Will pressed the apartment elevator's button with a sharp jab of his finger. "How odd."

"Odd?" Will felt light-headed as he made his way into the office and handed the apartment key over to the receptionist with a mumbled thanks.

"Why would Henry go back to the apartment?" Hannibal's voice was curious and Will shrugged, even if the other couldn't see it.

"To revisit his crime." Will spotted Hannibal's car and made his way toward it, closing his phone as he walked.

"I don't think so, my dear Will." Hannibal replied as soon as he was in the car. "What did Mr. Cadbury say?"

"He said that they were friends; that they had met at the hotel Perez workesd at." Will finished, after telling Hannibal of his encounter with Henry.

"What hotel was it?"

"Hotel Monaco in Baltimore." Will looked out the window briefly and frowned. "Where are we going?"

"Home, and then out for dinner." Hannibal replied and Will resisted the urge to slap him.

"I don't think now is the time for a date."

"No," Hannibal agreed. "Not a date, a dinner party."

* * *

 

"Remind me why we're doing this again." Will said as he tugged on the cuffs of the only suit he owned. Hannibal was walking beside him, impeccably dressed (of course) and Will felt both awkward and out of place.

"To catch our killer." Hannibal replied as they were let into the hotel's extravagant dining hall. It was decorated tastefully, overly bright, and full of people dressed just as impeccably as Hannibal with more money in there pockets than Will could ever hope to see in his life time. He felt like running.

But Hannibal's hand was on the small of his back (guiding, reassuring, grounding), so Will swallowed his nervousness and let himself be led.

"You think Henry Cadbury is our killer?" Will asked and Hannibal gave him a look that clearly said 'Oh my poor, dear Will'.

"No, but he will be here." Hannibal said as he gestured discreetly toward a pair of well dressed people. One was Henry Cadbury, looking bored and somewhat depressed, and the other was a beautiful looking blond woman. She was tucked against Henry's side and talking to a tall brunette woman. They were the perfect pair, and Henry looked absolutely miserable.

"Shall we go talk to them?" Hannibal asked, then steered them toward the perfect couple before Will could reply.

Henry's face lit up considerably when he caught sight of Will, a silent question in his eye. Will gave a small shake of his head and had to look away as the blonde's face fell.

"Mr. Cadbury," Hannibal greeted, extending a hand for the other man to shake. "I believe you've met my partner Will Graham."

Henry nodded before shaking Will's hand as well. "Yes, I have. Although I must admit I'm surprised to see you here."

"It has been a while since I've joined in a social night out." Hannibal agreed. "If I had I certainly would have met your fiance before now."

"Cecilia Rivers, although it will be Cadbury within a week." The blonde woman said as Hannibal kissed the back of her hand lightly. She turned to Will expectantly, only to frown when he merely nodded at her.

Henry had a light smile on his face, but hid it quickly when Cecilia looked over at him.

"A while back you were wearing a beautifully made suit with a plum tie." Hannibal said to Henry and the blonde looked perplexed.

"Yes, I bought it at little shop but misplaced the handkerchief. I've been meaning to get another one made." Henry's tone was politely curious as he replied and Will noticed Cecelia's grip on his arm tighten ever so much.

"That was my fault, I'm afraid." Cecelia said with a little laugh. "I misplaced it during a dinner party a couple weeks back."

Hannibal smiled at her. "An honest mistake I'm sure."

Cecelia nodded mutely before looking away from Hannibal's gaze. "Dinner is ready." She said as she looked toward the doors before leading her fiancee to one of hall's many tables.

Dinner was served as soon as everyone was seated, uniformed waiters filing in with covered plates as the head chef announced their first course.

The silver domes were lifted away to reveal a Fish Bisque Flambe. It tasted great, delicious in fact, and Will very nearly hummed in satisfaction. Hannibal glanced over at him with a smile before turning his attention to a blonde woman dressed in a scarlet blouse. She was a university friend of Hannibal's, Dr Bedelia Du Maurier.

Will watched them talk, half-listening as they conversed about the inner workings of the human mind. Half-way through a discussion on Memory Manipulation Will's attention was drawn by a man to his left who had leaned forward to regard him with a deliberating expression.

"Excuse me for interrupting your conversation," The man said with a small smile aimed at Will after introducing himself as Dr. Frederick Chilton. "But I read your paper on Benedict Cuthridge. For a research paper in a minor class it was exceptional to read."

Will was caught of guard for a moment. Benedict Cuthridge had been a killer he had chosen to research for his finals in Criminal Psychology his fourth year of college. Cuthridge kidnapped the woman he had dated, burning her eyes out and kept her alive in his house until he had hammered a nail through her heart. Even after fifteen years Will remembered the case in vivid detail, recalling the dizzying cocktail of emotions that Cuthridge had felt toward his victim; the loss, hurt, abandonment, and anger that had coursed through his veins as he had killed her. It had been one of the first cases he'd connected with, he had been one of the first killers Will had empathized with, but Will couldn't help but be confused to the assignment's relevance at the moment.

"That was a long time ago." Will reached for his wine glass, taking a longer drink than was adequate and felt the winter wine flow to his stomach, bringing a warmth that spread to rest of him.

"It was," The man agreed with a somewhat apologetic nod of his head. "But in your paper you mentioned something that intrigued me Mr. Graham; you said that the killer's actions were born on hate and fear."

Now it was Will's turn to nod. "Cuthridge's girlfriend was unfaithful during their relationship."

"Yes, that explains the hate but not the fear." The other said as he placed his spoon down beside his now empty bowl.

"He feared unfaithfulness, he feared her ability to hurt him by leaving." Will supplied with a slight scrunching of his brows. "I said as much in my paper, Dr. Chilton."

"But you never exactly said how you reached that conclusion. That was your paper's one fault. Cuthridge let his fear rule his actions, killing his girlfriend in order to conquer that fear."

There was a small smile shining in Chilton's eyes as Will turned toward him in his seat, giving him his full attention.

"Is there something specific that you wanted to discuss with me Dr. Chilton?" Will asked and this time the other man let his smile show.

"Your paper was remarkable work, even for a minor college class. From my understanding you majored in law with the ambition of working for the FBI."

"I wanted to become a criminal profiler." Will told him around another sip of wine, wishing that he had a glass of scotch instead.

"Ah, then my actual question is, why didn't you? You're a smart man Mr. Graham." Chilton handed him a stark white business card with a flick of his wrist. "It'd be a shame for your mind to go to waste."

Will gave the card a once over before tucking it into his pocket. His barely touched bowl had been taken away, replaced by a baked Salmon Roulade, but Will's appetite had diminished completely. Hannibal glanced over at him, over the rim of his wine glass with a smile gracing his lips and Will felt his stomach flutter.

The rest of the meal passed quickly and Will soon found himself bundled against Hannibal's side as they made their way to the alley beside the Hotel Monaco and ducked beneath the yellow police tape strung there. Jack had called just as the meal was wrapping up, informing them that another body had been found, this time a chef named Samantha Carter.

As Will went to kneel beside the body Hannibal stayed at the mouth of the alley, standing beside a gangly busboy with a cigarette stuck into his mouth. His eyes shifted between Samantha and Will, head tilted ever so slightly as he smoked. His hands trembled ever so much as he raised the cigarette to his lips, even though he's wearing gloves against the cold.

"She's dead ain't she?" The boy asked and Hannibal nodded. The youth let out a short humorless bark of laughter. "Bitch had it coming to her then."

Hannibal raised an eyebrow at that. "Is that so?" He asked, just a hint of disdain coloring his tone. The other nodded, eager to vent his dislike.

"Yeah, she always acted so stuck up and preppy, too dumb to realize that she was at the bottom with the rest of us."

"That must have been difficult to put up with." Hannibal remarked after a moment and the other snorted.

"You have no idea man. I'm just glad I no longer have to work under her." He said and smudged his cigarette out against the wall behind them. Will was rising from beside Samantha's body and Hannibal could see him take a shaky breath before expelling it into the chilly air. He glanced at the man beside him then over at Jack.

"The blood on your sleeve, where did it come from?" Hannibal asked just loud enough for Will to hear as he passed by on his way to Jack. The boy looked down at the red stain marring the white material of his uniform.

"Handling the meat scraps in the kitchen." He said with a shrug and Hannibal nodded. By now Will and Jack were making their way towards them and the busboy did't realize what was going on until Jack flashed his badge. However, he had nowhere to run as Jack cuffed him and pulled him toward a cruiser.

"Please call Mr Cadbury. Tell him to meet us in the lobby." Hannibal told Will and the brunette frowned but did as he was asked. He followed Hannibal into the warmth of the lobby for the second time that night, the echo of Samantha Carter's death clinging to him and causing his stomach to roll.

Henry was waiting for them in a corner of the lobby that housed a set of chairs and motioned for them to sit. Cecelia was still by his side, a shade paler than normal as she clung to her fiancee's side.

"Did you find the killer?" The blonde man asked and let out a relieved sigh when Will nodded.

"Actually," Hannibal began, locking eyes with Cecelia. "We found one of them."

"What do you mean?" Will turned to Hannibal, confusion flooding through him but the older man never broke his silent staring contest with Ms. Rivers, who now had a white knuckled grip on Henry's arm.

"Cecelia arranged for Perez to be killed." Hannibal said after a moment and Cecelia's bottom lip trembled but Hannibal had turned his attention to her husband-to-be. "You and Eduardo Perez were lovers. Ms. Rivers knew this, even before Henry's mother arranged their marriage."

"He didn't need him any more." Rivers said, a flash of anger rising in her tone before dying out and being replaced by desperation as Henry pulled his arm from her grip.

"He was just a gutter rat, nothing more." She defended. "No one would have missed him."

"I missed him!" Henry's voice sounded strangled, anger, disbelief, and pain mixing in a tone that was almost painful to hear. Will held back a gasp as he felt Henry's emotions flood through him in a whirlwind, how hopeless and trapped he felt. He felt how hollow and dead Eduardo's death had left the other man and his own heart ached in response.

"You fucked him." Cecelia said disgust filling her voice, but then she flinched back as the blonde man rose from his seat to put more distance between them.

"I loved him, you spoiled tramp. More than I could ever love you." Henry snapped, letting his true feelings show for once.

Cecelia slapped him. The sound of it cut through the air like the snap of a whip and Will had grabbed Cecelia by the arm before he even realized he was moving.

"Let go of me!" She shrieked and Will ducked as she attempted to slap him as well.

"I think that'll be enough." Hannibal said, catching her arm before the blow could connect. His auburn colored eyes were cold, showing more red than brown as Cecelia slumped against Will.

"You paid the busboy to kill Eduardo Perez, didn't you?" He asked and she gave a defeated nod.

"He wasn't supposed to kill again. No one was supposed to know."

"But he killed the chef and got caught." Will filled in for her. Another silent nod before she aimed a glare at Hannibal.

"How did you know?" She asked and Hannibal tilted his head.

"You told me." He said and Will's eyes widened.

"The handkerchief." He breathed and Hannibal smiled before turning his attention back to the blonde woman.

"You were the last person to have it and most likely gave it to the busboy, telling him to plant it on the body in the hopes that your fiancee would get blamed for the murder."

"You would have been married to him by the time he was arrested and gotten his money." Will added and glanced over at Henry, who was now slumped in a chair with his head in his hands as he listened. "Both Eduardo and Henry would be gone from your life while you played the unfortunate wife of a murderer."

"He deserved it." She hissed out, hands clenched at her side. "He gave his love to that worthless low-born scum of a man instead of me. Eduardo was going to talk him out of the marriage, away from me, and what would I have? What would I have?" She was yelling now, hands clenched into fists.

"Will, please call Jack." Hannibal had heard enough by now, as had Will. Rivers let out a strangled cry but fell into a dignified silence when she noticed the small crowd of people looking on, attempting to play the martyr.

Jacked arrived soon after Will called, a pair of handcuffs tucked under his belt for Cecelia. She glared at them all, turning away in disgust when she passed by Henry and Will felt pity rise in him for the man.

Hannibal led the way back to the car and Will climbed into the passenger seat with a tired sigh. The drive home was short and silent, Will resting his head against the chilled glass of the window as he watched Baltimore pass by.

Once inside Hannibal's home he buried his head against Hannibal's chest as the other man pulled him into an embrace.

"That was horrible." He said, voice muffed by the material of Hannibal's coat.

"We've had worse cases." Hannibal reminded him but Will just shook his head.

"Not the case Hannibal, the people."

"You empathized." Hannibal said and Will nodded.

"With Henry." And Will didn't need to say anymore because Hannibal had pulled him into a kiss that made Will's knees weak. It was calming, grounding, dizzying as Will pressed himself closer to Hannibal with a sigh.

"You're not him." Hannibal told him as he held Will's gaze. "You have control over who you are and what you do."

"Sometimes it doesn't feel that way." Will chuckled and Hannibal placed a firm kiss to his forhead before leading him to the bedroom.

As he stripped Will of his clothes he pressed kisses to each revealed section of skin and Will shivered. Hannibal was still fully dressed by the time Will's last article of clothing slipped away and the brown haired man frowned.

"Your wearing too much clothes." He groaned and Hannibal chuckled, eyes twinkling as he pressed a kiss to Will's neck.

"My apologies ." He breathed against Will's skin and the other let out a breathless laugh as he proceeded to remove his clothes and set them aside.

Will cupped a hand around the back of Hannibal's neck and pulled him down into a kiss as the other man came to kneel on the bed between Will's legs.

By the time they broke the kiss both were breathless, Will ducking his head to place a kiss to Hannibal's shoulder.

"Thank you." Will murmered as Hannibal prepped him but his lover merely shook his head and caught his hand.

Bringing it up to his lips he placed a kiss into Will's palm. "You're brilliant Will; there's no need to thank me." He replied and Will simply nodded. Pressing another kiss to his lips, Hannibal set a gentle pace between them. He smirked when Will urged him to move faster, choosing to ignore him in the stead of gyrating his hips in a manner that he knew drove the younger man crazy.

Will's hands scrambled, found purchase on Hannibal's hips, and gripped tightly as he arched against the other with a bit off moan. Ducking his head down to Will's shoulder, Hannibal placed a quick bite to his collarbone before licking the abused skin with a swipe of his tongue.

"Fuck," Will bit out hands tightening to near bruising.

"Language." Hannibal chuckled and Will groaned as Hannibal placed another bite next to the previous one.

After that words were forgotten, replaced with broken breaths and moans as Hannibal urged Will toward his release. The brunette came with a cry between them, Hannibal riding it out as his own climax washed through him.

As Will laid there, basking in post coital bliss he felt Hannibal place a final kiss to his curls.

"Brilliant." Hannibal echoed himself from earlier, pulling the covers over them as Will pressed close to him.


	2. Case Two

**Case Two: A Study In Fear**

* * *

 

Will stifled a yawn with his hand as he typed up the case report he owed Jack. He was mostly finished, having compiled all their collected evidence as well as statements from Rivers, Cadbury, Eckerton, and the hotel's busboy. Will also included his own observations from his empathetic viewpoint, something Hannibal had managed to convince him to do after their third case together. The report would then pass to Beverly Katz as head of forensics to allow her and her team to add any further evidence notes before finally landing on Jack's metaphorical desk.

It was long and boring work and Will knew exactly why Hannibal had passed the job on to him to do.  
Flexing his fingers with a small cracking noise he set back to typing and then let out a sigh as he closed the word editor. However, as soon as he pushed send on the email containing the report and a brief greeting to Katz the phone rang. Reaching over, Will hid another yawn behind his hand and greeted whoever was on the other line with a tired expellment of his last name.

"Glad to know you're awake." Jack's voice intoned from the other end and Will clambered out of the bed with an unspoken curse. "I need you and Dr. Lecter to meet me at a crime scene in Lanchester."

"Lanchester, Maryland?" Will echoed as he made his way down the stairs to the first story and then on to the kitchen. Hannibal looked over at him but only gave a small nod before turning back to their breakfast.

"Yes, Maryland." Crawford confirmed, even if the question was somewhat rhetorical. He gave Will directions to the crime scene, the brown haired man muttering them back to himself as he committed them to memory.

Hannibal removed their breakfast (what happened to be a glorified version of a Monte Cristo sandwich) from the burner and placed it on plated for both of them. He retrieved orange juice from the fridge and two glasses from the cupboard, setting them on the island and joining Will as he ate.

"There's a new case in Lanchester Maryland." Will began after a couple of bites from his sandwich and Hannibal nodded.

"It wouldn't be like Jack to give us a day between cases." Hannibal said with a smile and Will chuckled. "Did Jack tell you any details of the case?"

"No, just directions to the the scene. We should get going though."The brunette told him and Hannibal nodded once more, standing up.

Will looked over at Hannibal as he collected their empty plates and placed them in the sink but the blonde man had already left the kitchen.

They met in the hall, Hannibal having grabbed a coat for both of them as Will quickly washed and stacked their dishes.

"Shall we be on our way then, my dear Will?" Hannibal asked with a somewhat boyish grin and Will followed him out the house, a small smile lighting his features.

...

"Will, Hannibal, glad you could make it." Jack greeted them upon their arrival. Hannibal and Jack shook hands, Will bypassing them both to reach Beverly Katz, who was leaning over a large wooden box, gloved fingers carefully combing through its contents. Zeller and Price were also present, standing beside her and offering their own commentary as they examined the body that had been laid out on a blue plastic tarp.

Will glanced over at the body briefly before turning his attention to the wooden box. I was roughly six feet in length and fill with fine red colored dirt. Retrieving a pair of gloves from one of the CSI guys, he ran a hand through the dirt and looked at Katz.

"Ultisol," She said, answering his unasked question. "Commonly known as Red Clay soil."

"It's usually found in the southern states but there are some places here in Maryland where you can find it naturally." Price added and Will nodded.

"According to jack our victim is Samuel Ferric. A groundskeeper found him this morning around five when he was making his rounds."

"He died from lack of oxygen." Zeller said from his position by the body.

Hannibal crouched beside him and peered into Ferric's mouth. "There are dust particles in the back of his throat." He observed. "The dirt would have gotten into his lungs and impaired his breathing to the point of being impossible to take in air."

"Well there's that, but he was also trapped in a box barely bigger than he is. It's small and sealed off completely so it's also as likely that he ran out of air to breath, especially if he was panicking." Zeller shot back and Hannibal raised a brow at him, a faint smile flickering across his face.

"How about we just let Will do his thing and find out before you two start up a debate?" Katz said with a pointed look at all of them and Will sent her an appreciative look as she led the others away.

Closing his eyes, Will let the pendulum wind back time.

"Good morning Samuel." He greets Ferric, a welcoming smile gracing his face as he waves the other man into the room. The scenery of the park has been replaced by the walls of an office and he now stands behind a large oak desk. The details of his surroundings are hazy though, unsure and shifting as his mind fabricates an unknown location.

Samuel nods his head in greeting, too anxious to speak as he wrings his hands in front of him. Today is the day they'll attempt to overcome his fear and he supposes that Ferric has every reason to be intimidated.

Moving around the desk to stand beside a large wooden box, he motions Samuel forward with a wave of his hand and raises the lid to reveal the red dirt inside.

"As we've discussed before, you have an acute fear of being buried alive, or what is called Taphophobia. In this session we'll be attempting to overcome that fear." He pauses to make sure Samuel is following and smiles when the young man nods. "Now, you'll be enclosed in this box for thirty seconds. It won't be locked so you'll be able to open it whenever you'd like."

Helping Ferric into the box, he waits until the younger man is lying down to close the lid and retrieve his notebook. He sits in the lid of the box and places a padlock through the latch. His patient is just beginning to panic, yelling for him to let him out and he whistles softly to himself as he jots down Samuel's reaction. After a couple of minutes Ferric quiets down and he writes that down as well, wondering whether or not the young man has decided to conserve his air.

...

Will came back to himself with a sharp intake of breath. He held it in his lungs for a moment before letting it out and blinking his eyes open. He was no longer in the office, the bookshelves now replaced by trees and the box now open with Samuel Ferric's body beside it.

Hannibal was crouched beside the body, inspecting Samuel's fingernails when Will looked over at him.

"He died from fear." Will said after a few moments of watching Hannibal work. "He was afraid of being buried alive and our killer locked him in a box full of dirt. It caused too much adrenaline to go to his heart and Ferric went into cardiac arrest."

Hannibal was looking at him now as he stood up. "That would explain the reason behind our victim's fingernail's being lodged into the lid of the box. He was trying to claw his way out."

"Wouldn't you?" Will asked sharply but the other man only raised a brow in question. Will muttered an apology under his breath and Hannibal chuckled.

"Did you find out anything else?" He asked and Will nodded.

"He wasn't killed here." Will gestured to the park. "I was in an office and I placed Samuel in the box and locked him in with a padlock.

Then I sat on the lid and took notes, waited for him to stop struggling before I went back to my desk." He paused, brows knitting together in thought. "It was a therapy session."

"Brilliant." Hannibal leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to Will's lips before motioning Price over.

"In the autopsy, pay close attention to his heart. Check for any problems he might have with his heart as well as any excessive amounts of adrenaline."

Price nodded before he looked over at Will. "Both of them were wrong then?" He asked good-naturedly and grinned when Will nodded.

* * *

 

"Meet victims number one and two." Zeller announced as he showed Will and Hannibal the bodies of Arthur Emerson and Jane Gille.

"Our first victim, Gille, was frozen and Emerson here was burned alive. At first we thought he was killing them with each of the elements,"

"Actually, that was just Brian that thought that." Price cut in and Zeller glared at him half-heartedly.

"And our third victim seems to confirm that theory since he was buried in dirt. That's three out of the four main elements."

"Then Will brought up phobias and we turned our attention their."

After that Hannibal and Zeller began a game of throwing ideas and motives back and forth at each other. If Will didn't see Hannibal as a such a mature, put-together human being he would have pegged it as childish banter. Katz and Price worked around them, feeding Will the information they had gathered from autopsy and analysis of the victim's clothing.

Glancing over at Hannibal briefly to see him and Zeller bending intently over a body, he returned his attention to the others only to be met with the hazy interior of what appeared to be a restaurant kitchen. As with the previous time in the office he can't make out details, just the impression of stainless steel tables and a large door to his right.

He is once again waiting patiently for his next appointment to arrive. This time it is a young raven haired woman with startling grey eyes. She returns his warm smile with one of her own and shakes his hand firmly.

"You look much more relaxed than I had anticipated." He comments as she sits her Coach bag down on the table beside a black leather bound notebook.

"I was going over calming exercises my yoga instructor taught me the whole ride hear to be honest." She informs him with a small nervous laugh. He nods in sympathy and guides her toward the large metal door. It is a storage freezer with a large handle and even larger lock. The woman's gulp is audible as he leads her toward it but she relaxes slightly when he places a hand at the small of her back.

"That's good." He tells her reassuringly. "You'll need to be as calm a possible today since we'll finally be facing your fears."

"Yes." She agrees as she walks into the freezer. A shudder runs through her body that has nothing to do with the cold of the room. Her breath ghosts into the air as she looks around her at the various frozen items around her.

"No need to get panicked." He assures with a warm smile and she relaxes again. "You'll only be in here for thirty second, less if I see that you can't handle it."

She nods, a brief flash of panic bursting in her eyes as he makes his way back to the door. The door is shut with a firm hiss of the airlock. Much to his pleasure it takes a full minute before he hears the scrape of her nails on the door as she searches for a way to open the door. It is an old freezer with an old design, one he'd chosen because of the added detail that there was no way to open it from the inside. The banging follows afterward and he can here her calls to let her out ringing through the thick metal. Picking up his notebook he opens it to a fresh page and begins to take notes.

It takes a whole hour before she falls silent and another three before he opens the freezer door. She is pressed against the freezer wall beside the door, frozen and lifeless in curled position to conserve warmth. Her grey irises are practically white, colorless from the frost that has settled over the motionless orbs. Her lips are now a dark blue color along with the veins that stand in stark contrast to her pale skin. Crouching down, he pulls her body into his arms and makes his way out to the empty parking lot where he then dumps her. Someone on the morning shift will find her.

...

"They were receiving treatment to overcome their phobia's." Will spoke up as his eyes blinked open. He motioned toward the body of the raven haired woman currently laying on a stainless steel slab before them. "She was terrified of freezing to death and came to our killer for help. Instead he locked her in a storage freezer and took notes."

"If he's focusing on fear, then perhaps we should as well." Hannibal said after a moment of thought and Will nodded.

"Way ahead of you." Will said with a smile. (And he really shouldn't be smiling, not after what he'd just seen.) Hannibal didn't comment on the bout of glee and instead followed Will out of the Bureau.

...

"A pleasure to see you again. Mr Graham." Chilton said as he shook Will's hand.

"The pleasure's all mine." Will assured as Hannibal surveyed the office, noting the medium sized black notebook that was now being stowed away from their sight. Dr. Chilton was all welcoming smiles and polite curiosity as he motioned for them to take a seat. Will obliged but Hannibal chose to remain standing, moving slightly behind Will's chair and placing a hand on the seat's backing beside his partner's shoulder.

It was a possessive gesture that Will chose not to comment on but still sent a chill through his body.

"At dinner you mentioned that Cuthridge let his fear rule his actions."

"Yes, killing his unfaithful girlfriend to conquer that fear." Chilton cut in with a wave of his hand.

"I wanted to speak to you about that." Will said in a clipped tone. Hannibal's hand moved down to his shoulder and Will's anger against the doctor's dismissive attitude diminished slightly.

"Speak to me about what, Mr. Graham. You'll have to be more specific." The other man said in a mockingly polite tone and Hannibal's eyes narrowed ever so much.

"Conquering fear, Dr. Chilton." Will snapped, patience running thin. Chilton only glanced at the clock to his left, ever-present smile on his face.

"'You can conquer almost any fear if you will only make up your mind to do so.'" The psychologist began and Will's brow furrowed.

"'For remember, fear doesn't exist anywhere except in the mind.'" Will finished and Chilton clapped his hands together once.

"Ah, you know the quote. You see, Cuthridge made up his mind to conquer his fear of abandonment by making sure his girlfriend never got the chance to leave. In his case, that fear was all-consuming and deadly, but in all reality Mr. Graham, fear is one of the best defense mechanisms we have. It heightens our senses and allows us to connect with our surroundings in a way that no other emotion can. When you conquer your fears you open the gateway to perseverance, and by extension, survival. Now if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment to keep."

With that, Chilton left the room and Will pinched the bridge of his nose. A heavy sigh fell from his lips as he closed his eyes tightly for a moment. When he opened them Hannibal was standing behind Chilton's desk with a black leather-bound book in his hands. A jolt ran though him as he watched Hannibal leaf through the pages.

"Where did you get that?" He asked as he stood up and grabbed the book from Hannibal's hands.

"Chilton's desk; he hid it when we were first arriving." Hannibal told him as Will turned through the pages. He came to a stop on a nearly empty page, marked only with the name Rebecca Morgan and an address. Will took a moment to curse himself having never told Hannibal about the journal in both flashbacks, because of course Hannibal wouldn't have connected evidence he knew nothing about.

"We have to find Chilton." Will told him as he raced from the room.

On the car ride to the address in the book, Will called Jack and informed him of what they'd then gave the man the address and silently hoped that they'd reach it in time.

…

They arrived at the address in the journal to see Chilton lowering Rebecca from the roof with a rope swing. She was visibly shaken and Will felt his stomach knot as he took note of the balcony below and just to her right. He could make it, he thought, but only if he hurried.

Taking off for the entrance, he spared a glance over his shoulder to see Hannibal moving in the opposite direction. He focused back on the reaching Rebecca as he took the stairs two at a time. As he reached the balcony there's a scream from above that sends his heart into his throat.

The woman fell, legs kicking and arms pinwheeling as a scream is ripped from her throat. Will reaches her just in time, fingers latching onto the tips of her own and then slipping away.

A strangled shout is ripped from his throat as she continues to fall. He can't look, can't watch. But he sees. He sees her plummet toward the ground below. Sees the arm reach out from the balcony opposite him and one story below. See's her buckle against the strong arm pulling her over the rail.

Sees Hannibal.

Breath rushed into his lungs in a sigh of relief and Hannibal caught his eye for a moment before turning his attention to the distraught woman in his arms. Will drew his gun and made his way to the elevator. One it reached the ground floor it dinged open and he raised to point at Chilton, who calmly raises his hands.

"Please step out of the elevator, Mr. Chilton." Will commanded and the other man complied, hands still in the air.

"May I lower my arms?" He asked with his ever present boyish smile. "I'm afraid my fingers are starting to tingle."

"Go right ahead, Mr. Chilton. Although I'd do it slowly if I were you." Jack told him as he arrived in the hall. Chilton did as asked and Jack caught his wrists and cuffed them before grabbing a tight hold of the psychiatrist's upper arm. Will walked beside them as Chilton was led to the cruiser, not allowing his gaze to slip to the ambulance now parked in the lot. Hannibal was there, he knew, along with Rebecca. The woman whose life he'd let slip through his fingers. He shuddered and looked over to see Chilton smiling at him with a knowing look.

Jack pushed him into the patrol car's back seat and slammed the door.

"You okay?" He asked and Will nodded.

"Yeah," He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm fine."

"Good. Get Hannibal and go home. Get some rest." Crawford commanded and Will let a smile tilt his lips.

"Sir, yes sir." He mumbled as he made his way to the car. A few minutes later Hannibal joined him and started the engine.

"She's fine." The older man told him. "Just a little shocked. She's going to be taken to the hospital just so they can keep an eye on her for a few hours and she'll most likely need to give a statement of events, but she's fine."

Will sighed as they reached a red light. "Is this your way of telling me that I didn't fuck up?" He questioned and a somewhat boyish smile lit Hannibal's face.

"No, this is my way of telling you that she's perfectly okay and that there's no reason you should feel guilty." The red light changed to green.

"I let her fall." He pointed out and Hannibal glanced at him before focusing back on the road.

"She slipped through your fingers. You didn't let her do anything.I highly doubt she'd hold any ill will toward your for trying to save her life catching her would-be killer." He paused and brushed a lick of brown hair from the frame of Will's glasses. "So don't hold it toward yourself."

Will didn't agree with him but he didn't reply either.

...

That night when Will asked Hannibal to fuck him the older man simply held him and placed a kiss to his shoulder. He promised Will that he'd never hurt him and if Will shook ever so much in his arms, he didn't mention it.

He held him and called him brilliant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, so, so, so, so, sooooooo sorry for the long waiting period for this second case. I lost all my outlines and hand to rewrite them, then my internet got turned off. It's back on now though, so I'll start speeding up my writing by A LOT.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I hope you liked the first chapter. (Trust me, it gets better.) There are about seven more planned out. Yes, Hannibal is still the Chesapeake Ripper.


End file.
